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Museum of old machines and technologies

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Vonwiller Factory around 1900

The Museum of Old Machines and Technologies (Czech: Muzeum starých strojů a technologií) is a technical history museum located in the area of the former Vonwiller textile factory (Czech: Vonwillerova Továrna) in Žamberk in the north of the Czech Republic.

Buildings and Area: The Vonwiller Factory

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The site, then located in the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Austrian Empire, was used from 1838 onwards as one of many production facilities of the Vonwiller entrepreneurial family, which originated from Switzerland after the former owner and local landlord John Parish enabled the use of the property in Žamberk (then Senftenberg). This followed a competition announced by Parish for a factory for the production of woolen goods. The winner, Nikolaus Vonwiller, was granted the right to use the hydropower of the Divoká Orlice river free of charge, and an interest-free loan of 100,000 Gulden was also granted. Initially, Vonwiller operated a sheep wool factory whose spinning mill was powered by Water power.

Textile production at the Vonwiller factory in 1915
Share of Vonwiller a spol, Prague, 1939

The company was later transformed into a joint-stock company and existed as such from 1918 in Czechoslovakia as well as in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After the re-establishment of Czechoslovakia following the Second World War, it was nationalized.

After several changes of ownership, textile production was discontinued in 2006. The last operator was Royan, a.s., based in Pardubice. The inscription "ROYAN" on the main building still recalls the last industrial operator.

Focus and Exhibits

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The museum was opened in 2023 after extensive preparatory work, but had already been open for special events in previous years.

A main focus of the collection is in the area of historical machines. Particularly noteworthy are the originally preserved machines for textile production, as well as stationary and mobile steam engines. The museum itself states that it has the largest collection of Steam engines in the Czech Republic.

For vehicles, the focus is on steam traction, but road vehicles with internal combustion engines are also collected.

In the field of Road transport, Traction engines or steam lorries, for example, are shown. One specimen was manufactured as a license build of Sentinel by Škoda.

In the field of Rail transport, the collection primarily focuses on narrow-gauge and industrial narrow-gauge steam locomotives with reference to the Austrian-Hungarian, Czechoslovak, and German railway history. [1] Many of these have been restored to operational condition.

This originally Polish forest railway locomotive Fablok Typ Las came to the museum from Austria but is now in Poland
The locomotive Wolf comes from Austria. It is operational again since 2025

Workshop

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This Jung Hilax type locomotive was restored in the museum workshop

The museum workshop, in cooperation with 1. Kolínská Lokomotivní s.r.o. (First Kolín Locomotive Company for the Repair and Construction of Steam Locomotives), not only restores the museum's steam locomotives but also undertakes contract work for third parties. The restoration of a Jung Typ HILAX for the Waldeisenbahn Muskau (Muskau Forest Railway) became particularly well-known.

Standard-gauge vehicles have also been restored so far, such as the express train carriage AB4u 2668 or a vehicle of the Ca series "Panceřák" from the years 1930 to 1932.

Among the completed contracts, the following are worth mentioning:

  • the reconstruction of the Ruston & Comp steam engine from 1887 of a Steam mill in Telč
  • the restoration of a Coining press from the Vulkan Vienna company
  • a historical bucket pump of the Zentour type from the Umrath Praha-Bubny company from the mid-19th century.

Demonstration Track

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Demonstration track of the museum

For the demonstration of the numerous existing steam locomotives, there is a track several hundred meters long that runs both between the factory buildings and in the outdoor area. In some sections, the trackage is designed as dual gauge track with 600 mm and 760 mm Track gauge. Inside the factory complex, a turntable with several stalls similar to a Roundhouse was built.

Cultural Center and Event Location

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The premises of the museum or the historical factory complex are also used as a Cultural center for events – for example, Concerts by the Czech artists Anna K and David Koller have taken place. Furthermore, parts of the complex are rented out as an Event location, for example for Weddings. As a special feature, the museum also rents out some of its exhibits, including operating personnel, for external events.

Cooperations

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Under the umbrella of the Euroregion Glacensis[2] , the museum has been able to secure funding from the Microprojects Fund several times. There are also cooperations with institutions of the Euroregion.

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vonwiller & Co..

References

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  1. ^ "Preserved narrow steam locos in Czechia" (in German). Josef Pospichal. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  2. ^ "Euregion Glacensis". Euregion Glacensis. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
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